Cloud Architecture: Cloud Computing, Service Models

and Components of the Cloud Simply Explained

Every building needs an underlying architecture that defines how it will be designed,
shaped and ultimately constructed. The architect incorporates many components into
his planning and supervises the entire construction process. The Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) is also based on such architecture - most commonly this is the so-called
cloud architecture. Cloud architecture refers to the underlying infrastructure and the
components that support the cloud. For the construction, the cloud architect must
consider the use of databases, the software function, as well as the applications that the
cloud provides. To begin with, the question is which cloud computing deployment
model and which service model is right for your organization to get started with IIoT. For
this purpose, we would like to provide you with an overview that can support you in
your decision.

Cloud computing deployment models

Cloud condition and architecture depend primarily on what the cloud is needed for. You
may have heard of the two most popular models - the public cloud and the private
cloud. However, in addition to these two, there are a variety of other models, each with
its own structure, requirements and associated advantages and disadvantages. These
include:

1. Public Cloud: The public cloud is suitable for a wide audience. The resources that
comprise the cloud environment do not belong to the end users and can be
redistributed to multiple clients. For example, "Gmail" is a public cloud because it
is available to many users, but the cloud environment does not belong to the
users.

2. Private cloud: In contrast to the public cloud, the private cloud is available to a
smaller number of users (only the end users). The private cloud can also be hosted
and managed by a company's own data center, for example. The code for the
"Google Mail" application is made available in a private cloud for instance.

3. Hybrid cloud: The hybrid cloud represents a mixture of private cloud and public
cloud. Accordingly, it combines the advantages of both models and is very
versatile. Thus, on the one hand, the data protection requirements of the private

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 cloud and, on the other hand, the high flexibility of the public cloud are achieved.
However, the parallel use of the two types of cloud also increases the complexity
of the IT infrastructure. An example of the hybrid cloud would be the use of
"Google Mail" in conjunction with a separate Outlook account.

4. Community cloud: The community cloud is a special case that arises rather
rarely. Here, IT infrastructures are used and provided by several companies via
the cloud. However, they are not publicly available, but are restricted to a selected
group of users. This model is suitable for universities or for different companies
that want to work together. They can then work jointly on a document in the
Google Cloud, for example.

5. Multi Cloud: The Multi Cloud represents a further development of the Hybrid
Cloud. Several cloud models are integrated and thus enable users to use the
services, applications and infrastructures on the cloud structures of different
providers simultaneously. The individual services can therefore be obtained from
the most suitable provider in each case, depending on requirements,
performance and price. For example, it is conceivable to use the storage space
from Dropbox, the web services from Amazon and the computing capacities in
the Google Cloud.

Different service models in the cloud

IT services are provided as services via the Internet. They can relate to five different
components. Choosing the right model also raises the question of what the cloud will
ultimately be used for. The most important service models are:

- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS provides a scalable IT infrastructure, such as computing power or data
storage. Companies can use their own applications and platforms in the
infrastructure offered by the service provider. An example of an IaaS is the
"Compute Engine" of the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

- Container as a Service (CaaS)

With this model, customers can use services related to container-based
virtualization. The resources for virtualization - such as computing power, storage
space and container engine - are provided by the service provider. The “Google
Kubernetes Engine” is such a tool.

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- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
With PaaS, an entire platform is provided in addition to the infrastructure, on
which application components can be developed, managed and deployed. This
platform (in the GCP the "App Engine") is equipped with everything needed for
the development of new software.

- Function as a Service (FaaS)

FaaS is a serverless cloud computing model. While the provider makes individual
functions available to the user (in the GCP the "Google Cloud Function"), the
actual infrastructure of the provider remains hidden from the user. The user gets
results back from the functions and can use them to develop, operate or manage
applications.

- Software as a Service (SaaS)

In this model, application software is operated and supported by an external service
provider and made available to the customer via the Internet. One example is the
"Google Mail" application software. This allows users to store and analyze data
without having to worry about managing the software.

Overview Service Models

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The scitis.io solution can be classified as Platform as a Service and Software as a
Service, as it provides a platform for users on the one hand, and also offers software
components on the other.

Components of a cloud architecture

A building always consists of certain basic elements such as the floor, the roof and the
walls - in interaction, they enable a safe and reliable stand. In the same way, cloud
architecture is also based on certain components that are meaningfully connected
with each other.

For the end user, the frontend represents the visualized user interface. More precisely,
the user accesses the backend via the Internet, but can see the frontend provided for
him. The backend includes the areas: security, management, service, storage and
application. It takes care of all background calculations - this includes checking whether
a user is allowed to log in, the user's access permissions, but also transferring data from
the end device to the corresponding storage.

Components of a Cloud Architecture

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The scitis.io Cloud Architecture
The scitis framework includes both the backend and the frontend. These are based on
the Javascript programming code and are hosted and organized in the App Engine.
We would like to highlight some important core services that are necessary for the
platform to function:

- IoT Core
IoT Core is a communication service that is especially important for device
management and authentication. IoT Core guarantees secure device connectivity
and management for data from millions of devices around the world.

- Big Query
The Big Query is responsible for the persistent storage of data and makes it
possible to evaluate, analyze and forecast data in real time.

- Cloud storage
The Cloud storage is a particularly important component of data storage. All
important information and metadata are stored in the cloud storage. For each
entry there is a so-called entity that contains various information. Entities can be
edge devices or machines, for example, for which the corresponding information
is then obtained.

- App Engine
Various framework services are provided within the App Engine:
- The default version of the App Engine is responsible for the frontend
application. All stylesheets that are displayed to the end user are stored
here.
- The Cloudplug (or Device) backend provides a service for processing data
from edge devices.
- The user backend is used to manage users, roles and permissions.

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 scitis.io Architecture

To see how companies have used and benefited from the scitis.io architecture, feel free
to take a look at some of our case studies. Perhaps one or the other use case can also
be transferred to your company?

Conclusion
The question of which cloud computing deployment model and which service model is
right for you and your business can only be assessed on an individual basis. But one
thing is certain: the cloud offers you endless possibilities. In fact, the services used by
scitis.io on the Google Cloud Platform represent only a fraction of what exists in the
Google Cloud cosmos. Take your time when deciding on your cloud architecture - just as
you would take your time when building a house. Because the architecture represents
the foundation for further decisions and a secure future in the Industrial Internet of
Things.

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 About us

At scitis.io, we have made it our business to generate knowledge from machine data. Our Production
Knowledge Cloud - the individual end-to-end solution from scitis.io - enables our customers to get
started quickly and easily with the digitization of all their machines and plants.

We believe that the digitization of the production process is the key industrial revolution of today. Our
goal is to help companies transform their data into sustainable decisions and processes.

Did we spark your interest?

If you would like to learn more, you can contact us without any obligation.
We look forward to an exchange!

scitis.io GmbH [email protected]

Seyfferstr. 34 +49 711 20526453
70197 Stuttgart